Bracelet for wrist and for portable electronic device with photographic camera

ABSTRACT

A bracelet for wrist and a portable electronic device with photographic lens includes a flexible band of which the length is long enough to wrap around either a portable electronic device with photographic lens either a wrist, the mentioned band being provided with an adjustable closure allowing to adapt the perimeter of the bracelet either to the size of the device either to the size of the wrist. Moreover, the bracelet has at least one lens incorporated in the above mentioned band such as to produce an optical effect when it covers the photographic lens of a portable electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to foreign French patent applicationNo. FR 1259764, filed on Oct. 12, 2012, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is about a bracelet for wrist and for portable electronicdevice with photographic camera. It also applies to the field of opticallenses assembly for electronic device.

BACKGROUND

The portable electronic devices are particularly widespread and havefunctionalities that are more and more evolved. Many devices of thistype encompass means to photograph or film the daily life. This isparticularly true for telephones called smart also referred by the word<<smartphone>>.

Most of these telephones have a photographic device integrated. Such adevice is usually constructed with a photographic lens, an image sensorand means to process signals.

The photographic lens is in most case of small size in order tofacilitate the manipulation of the portable electronic device. Indeed,such a photographic lens is usually chosen in such a way that it can beintegrated in the electronic device without creating an edge.

A certain number of processing are being implemented by signalprocessing means such as to improve the quality of the images. Theseprocessing allow also introducing some optical effects. It is possiblefor example to choose between a color picture and a black and whitepicture. Moreover, functions such as setting the sharpness are appliedautomatically to allow a use of the device the most simple as possible.The consequence is that the user doesn't have access to all theparameters allowing him to set up his recording. It is however possiblein some telephones with portable electronic devices to downloadapplications allowing to add some optical effects to the ones proposedby the manufacturer. In any case, the available possibilities arelimited by the physical characteristics of the photographic lens.Moreover, since numerous processing are done automatically, it isdifficult for the user to introduce voluntarily a visual defect in therecording, despite the fact that it could be a voluntary choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One goal of the invention is in particular to compensate for thedrawbacks mentioned above.

To this end, the invention concerns a bracelet for wrist and a portableelectronic device with photographic lens. The bracelet includes:

-   -   A flexible band of which the length is long enough to wrap        around either a portable electronic device with photographic        lens either a wrist, the mentioned band being provided with an        adjustable closure allowing to adapt the perimeter of the        bracelet either to the size of the device either to the size of        the wrist;    -   At least one incorporated lens in the above mentioned band such        as to produce an optical effect when it covers the photographic        lens of a portable electronic device.

In one embodiment, the closure is made of two connecting regions placedapproximately at the two extremities of the band such as to hold thebracelet closed with a fixed perimeter chosen when the mentioned zonesare in contact with each other.

The two connecting regions refer for example to two layers of a hook andloop band.

Alternatively, the two connecting regions are in flexible magneticmaterial such as magnetic rubber.

In another production mode, the closure is implemented by a buckle fixedto one of the extremity of the band and also with two distinctconnecting regions positioned at the other extremity of the mentionedband on its outside surface.

The flexible band is for example not extensible.

According to an aspect of the invention, at least two lenses areincorporated in the band in such a way as to produce different opticaleffects.

The dimensions of the band can be chosen in a way to ensure that aportion of the band of at least two millimeters wide surround the atleast one lens.

The optical effect of at least one lens is a defect such as a blureffect.

According to another aspect of the invention, the dimensions of theflexible band are adapted to operate with a smart phone or a tactiletablet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear thanksto the following description given for illustration purpose and nonlimitative, done with the drawings enclosed, of which:

The drawings 1 a and 1 b show an example of the bracelet according tothe invention;

The drawings 2 a and 2 b illustrate the way the bracelet according tothe invention could be positioned on a portable electronic device likesmartphone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The drawings 1 a and 1 b show an example of a bracelet according to theinvention. The drawing 1 a represents the outside face of the bracelet.The outside face of the bracelet is the face that is not in contact withthe wrist or with the portable electronic device when the bracelet isinstalled. The drawing 1 b represents a view of the inside face of thebracelet. The outside face of the bracelet is the face that is incontact with the wrist or with the portable electronic device when thebracelet is installed.

The bracelet can be used in two different ways. It can be used with thegoal to introduce at least one optical effect when a recording is doneby a portable electronic device. The bracelet can also be used as anaccessory by wrapping it for example around a wrist. The advantage isthat this second utilization prevents the loss of the bracelet when itis not in use with the portable electronic device. This way, the usercan carry the bracelet everywhere with him without fear of losing it.

The bracelet is made of a band 100, for example in cloth and/or inleather. This band 100 is flexible in a way to perfectly adapt to theshape of the portable electronic device that it wraps around.

This band 100 is for example of an approximate rectangular shape. Inthis example, the bracelet has 5 lenses 102, 103, 104, 105, 106incorporated in the band 100. They can be positioned at the samedistance from each other. These lenses are incorporated in the band in away that they are placed in the band without being covered so that theycan be in contact with the photographic lens of a portable electronicdevice. For this, the band 100 can be punched so as to be able toincorporate the optical lenses. The dimension of a lens is usuallyexpressed by a height, a length and a width or thickness. The length andthe height can be of the same length or not.

When many optical lenses are used, each can be associated to a specialoptical effect. As an example, the lens 102 can bring a yellowcoloration to the photo when it recovers the photographic lens of aportable electronic device. The lens 103 can bring a green coloration,the lens 104 can bring a magnifying glass effect, the lens 105 can bringa violet coloration and the lens 106 can bring a blur effect. Thus,defects such as the blur effect that are usually automatically correctedby the portable electronic device can be reintroduced thanks to theutilization of the bracelet according to the invention.

Note that through their colors and their different shapes, these lensescan be presented with a pleasant aesthetic effect, whether the braceletis around a wrist or on a portable electronic device. The choice of thedifferent forms for the optical lenses can also facilitate theproduction process of the bracelet, in particular when some lenses soldby different suppliers are integrated in the bracelet and this whilebringing a particular aesthetic effect. Thus, in the example of thedrawings 1 a and 1 b, the lens 102 is round, the lens 103 is of heartshape, the lens 104 is of club shape, the lens 105 is of square shapeand the lens 106 is of star shape.

The bracelet according to the invention incorporates also a closureallowing to adjust the perimeter of the bracelet when it is closed.

Advantageously, this closure allows to adapt the size of the bracelet soas to be easily usable by user having different shapes of wrist but alsoas to allow the bracelet to be adjustable to the different portableelectronic device with photographic lens. Thus, a user who acquired sucha bracelet will be able to continue to use it when he/she is changinghis/her portable electronic device, for example following a breakdown.Moreover, the closure is adapted to hold in place tightly the braceletaround the device.

This closure can be implemented thanks to different techniques. Thus, itis possible to place on the band 100 two connecting regions 101, 107,each of the connecting regions being placed at one end of the mentionedband. In the production mode shown on picture 1 a and 1 b, a firstconnecting region 101 is placed on the right extremity on the outsideface of the bracelet and a second connecting region 107 is being placedon the left extremity on the inside face of the bracelet. Theseconnecting regions are corresponding for example to two layers of hookand loop bands usually named by the word Velcros (trademark).Alternatively, these connecting regions 101, 107 can be implementedthanks to two portions of a flexible magnetic material such as magneticrubber. The use of the two connecting regions 101, 107 allow to adjustthe perimeter of the bracelet when it is closed by choosing whichconnecting region will be in contact. Depending on the portableelectronic device targeted, the size and positioning of the zones can beadapted.

In an alternative embodiment, the closure can be implemented thanks to abuckle fixed at one of the extremities of the band 100 while twodistinct connecting regions are being positioned to the other extremityof the mentioned band, preferably on its outside face. Thus, during theclosure of the bracelet, the extremity with the connecting regions isinserted into the buckle then brought back on itself so as to have thetwo connecting regions touching each other. A smart positioning of thementioned zones will allow an adjustable perimeter of the bracelet.

In a particular embodiment, the band of the bracelet has a length oftwenty centimeters and a width between one and a half to twocentimeters.

The used lenses can be chosen with a height of seven millimeters and awidth up to four centimeters. Preferably, the thickness of a lens ischosen below two millimeters so as to facilitate its integration withinthe band 100 and its positioning on the photographic lens.

The band 100 can be chosen in a non- extensible material. Indeed, someoptical lenses are made of plastic gels. They can consequently besensitive to the tensions made by the band on the mentioned lensesnotably when the bracelet is positioned around the portable electronicdevice. The use of a non-extensible material will allow to minimize thetensions and thus to protect the lens from being distorted.

In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the band 100 are chosensuch as to ensure that a portion of the band 108 of at least twomillimeters wide is surrounding each lens of the bracelet.

This portion of the band has the purpose to protect one or severaloptical lenses from any distortion.

The drawings 2 a and 2 b shows the way the bracelet according to theinvention can be positioned on a portable electronic device such assmart phone.

The smart phone has a front face that is drawn on picture 2 a, on whichappears a tactile screen 203 and a back face that is drawn on picture 2b incorporating a photographic lens 202 placed on the top of the phone.In this example, the bracelet 201 is being placed on the top of thesmart phone 202 such as to have one of the lenses of the bracelet beingin front of the photographic lens 202 to recover it.

If the bracelet has at least two optical lenses, the user can slide thebracelet around the smart phone such as to select one or the otheroptical lenses to cover the photographic lens and therefore to switchfrom one optical effect to another. The sliding of the bracelet can befacilitated by adding a sliding material on the inner face of thebracelet, such as for example felt fabric. This fabric can also bechosen as to improve the comfort of the user when the bracelet is beingworn around the wrist.

The dimension of the bracelet can also be adapted in such a way as toallow the bracelet to be used on a tactile tablet whose dimensions areusually bigger than a smart phone. In this case, the bracelet can beworn around the wrist by wrapping it around multiple times or by usingit as a necklace when the bracelet is not used around the mentionedtablet. For a tactile tablet of forty five centimeters wide and of onecentimeter and a half up to two centimeters thick, the dimension of thebracelet can be for example of eighty centimeters long and a centimeterand a half up to two centimeters wide.

1. A bracelet for a wrist and for a portable electronic device withphotographic lens, the bracelet comprising: a flexible band having alength which is long enough to surround a portable electronic devicewith photographic lens or a wrist, the band incorporating an adjustableclosure allowing to adjust a perimeter of the bracelet either to thesize of the device or to the size of the wrist; at least one lensintegrated in the band such as to produce an optical effect when itcovers the photographic lens of a portable electronic device.
 2. Thebracelet according to the claim 1, wherein the closure has twoconnecting regions positioned approximately at the two extremities ofthe band such as to hold tightly the bracelet closed with a fixedperimeter chosen when the mentioned zones are in contact with eachother.
 3. The bracelet according to the claim 2, wherein the twoconnecting regions are two layers of a hook and loop band.
 4. Thebracelet according to the claim 2, wherein the two connecting regionsare in flexible magnetic material such as magnetic rubber.
 5. Thebracelet according to the claim 1, wherein the closure is implemented bya buckle fixed to one of the extremity of the band and also with twodistinct connecting regions positioned at the other extremity of thementioned band on its outside surface.
 6. The bracelet according toclaim 1, wherein the band is non-extensible.
 7. The bracelet accordingto claim 1, wherein at least two lenses are incorporated in the bandsuch as to produce different optical effects.
 8. The bracelet accordingto claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the band are chosen to ensure thata portion of the band of at least two millimeters wide is surrounding atleast one lens.
 9. The bracelet according to claim 1, wherein theoptical effect of at least one of the lens is a defect such as a blureffect.
 10. The bracelet according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions ofthe flexible band are adapted to work with a smart phone or a tactiletablet.